Form ADT-1

Under the Companies Act, 2013 appointment or re-appointment of auditors at a general meeting is required to be intimated to the Government within 15 days of their appointment as such. Until recently, this was required to be done in a form ADT-1 but this form was available only in PDF format, not as a form. So the PDF filled form was required to be attached to form GNL-1 and thereafter filed at the portal of the ministry of corporate affairs.

With effect from 20th October, 2014, the ministry has made the form ADT-1 applicable as a form to be filed and uploaded at the portal. The form requires as an attachment, the appointment letter given to the auditors, their consent letter for appointment and the resolution appointing them as auditors.

All this is required to be attached to the form ADT-1 and filed within 15 days from the date of appointment. Also to be noted that hitherto under the Companies Act, 1956 the compliance regarding filing the erstwhile form 23B was required to be done by the Auditors themselves, now it is the company's responsibility to file the same within the said period of 15 days.

The form ADT-1 is available at the MCA portal. 

Industrial Licence

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry vide its Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued a Press Note no. 9 dated 20th October, 2014 wherein

1) the validity period of an industrial licence has been increased to 7 years;
2) annual capacity requirement in the Industrial Licence for defence items is being done away with; and
3) the licencee is allowed to sell defence items to govenment entities under the Ministry of Home Affairs without need of a prior approval from the Ministry of Defence. However for sale of such defence items to other entities shall require prior approval.

The Press Note can be found here

Company Law Settlement Scheme 2014

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has announced a new Company Law Settlement Scheme 2014 to enable companies which have defaulted in filing their mandatory annual documents to file the same at reduced additional fees of 25% of the normal additional fees. The salient features of the Scheme are as follows:

1) The Scheme is open from 15th August, 2014 to 15th November, 2014
2) Applicable for filing of annual statutory documents like compliance certificate, audited financial statements, annual return and auditors appointment only.
3) Not applicable for other event based documents.
4) Companies can file the documents under respective forms 66, 23ac, 23aca, 20b, 21a and 23b by filing the same within the period. They have to pay the filing plus 25% of the additional filing fees payable.
5) The companies will have to file an immunity application in respect of these documents which were filed under the CLSS 2014. The e-immunity application will be required to be filed after the annual documents are taken on record or approved by the ROC. The e-immunity application counter will be open for a period of three months after the closure of the Scheme.
6) The designated authority will consider the e-immunity applications and pass the necessary orders;
7) Companies which have already been issued with show cause notices from MCA in respect of non filing of the documents, and which has filed an appeal in a competent court, will have to first withdraw the appeal before it will be allowed to file the documents under the CLSS 2014.
8) The disqualification of directors under section 164 of the Companies Act, 2013 will apply only to prospective defaults if the company files the necessary documents under the CLSS 2014.
9) CLSS 2014 will not apply to vanishing companies, striking off action companies under section 560 of the Companies Act, 1956 and companies which have filed for dormant status under section 455 of the Companies Act, 2013;

DEFAULTING INACTIVE COMPANIES:

1) Where the company is inactive, i.e. there is no business in it, they can also take advantage under the Scheme by either

(a) applying to get themselves declared as dormant companies by filing the necessary form at 25% of the normal fees applicable on the said form. OR
(b) apply for striking off their names from the Register of the MCA by filing the necessary form at 25% of the normal fees applicable on the said form.

EXTENSION OF THE SCHEME TO 15TH NOVEMBER, 2014

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has vide its circular no. 40/2014 dated 15th October, 2014 extended the Company Law Settlement Scheme by another month to 15th November, 2014.

So, therefore, companies should avail of this opportunity and file the belated documents on or before 15th November, 2014.